Arc and incandescent lighting system



(No Model.)

J. E. GILES. ARC AND INGANDESGENT LIGHTING SYSTEM.

No. 438,619. Patented Oct. 21, 1890.

I V I @313 @Hfoznu WJS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EDIVIN GILES, OF HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA.

ARC AND INCANDESCENT LIGHTING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,619, dated October21, 1890. Application filed July 12, 1889- Serial No. 317,311. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN EDWIN GILES, a citizen of the United States,residingat Hazleton, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Arc andIncandescent Lighting Systems; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thefigures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to an electric-lighting system in which both areand incandescent lamps may be used. The combined operation of these twoclasses of electric lamps in the same system has heretofore beenattempted, the arc lamps being usually placed in series relation to thewhole incandescent system. It has been proposed to operate the arc lampsin multiple are by giving each arc branch a considerable permanentresistance. This, however, involves a large loss of energy by reason ofthis useless high resistance. IVhen arc lamps are used in seriesrelation to the incandescent system, it occurs when there is a change ofresistancein the are from impurities of the carbon or from other causesthat the lamps blow and the current at once rises to two orthree timesits normal strength, thus rendering the light produced impracticablebecause of the unbearable noise, the danger to the lamps from theoverflow of current, and the pumping action produced on the incandescentsystem and the consequent destruction of the incandescent lamps.

My invention differs from such systems in operating the arc lamps in oneor more of the parallel branches of a circuit of constant potential, sothat the arc lamps are grouped in parallel branches of the system justas the groups of incandescentlamps are, and I accomplish this resultwithout inserting a high fixed resistance in the branch.

It is an object of my invention to insure a perfect operation of bothtypes of lamps, to prevent the arc lamps from creating wide variationsof current strength, and to overcome the disagreeable noise due tochanges of current strength in the arc branch. I accomplish theseresults by placing a series of arc lamps in one of the cross branches ofa multiple-arc circuit and placing in the same branch an automaticdevice for cutting in resistance when the strength of currentcirculating in said branch varies from a predetermined limit, so that anincrease of resistance will instantaneously act to preserve the balanceof the system, and not only maintain a uniform intensity of the arclights, but also of the incandescent lights. This disposition should bedistinguished from systems in which a broken lamp is replacedautomatically by an auxiliary resistance equal to that of the brokenlamp, and from compound systems in which are located arc lamps in seriesrelation to incandescent lamps arranged in multiple arc, the wholenumber of incandescent lamps passing just enough current to sustain thearc lamps and auxiliary resistance being cut in when one or more lampsfail, and from antomatic devices-such as regulatorsused at the generatorto cut in or out resistance to preserve the current strength of thesystem, irrespective of the numberof lamps burning, to avoid greatchanges of candle-power, and avoid burning out the armature of thegenerator.

The invention relates only to circuits of constant potential in whichthe arc lamps are disposed in the same relation to the main wires as theincandescent lamps, and the primary object is to prevent a noisy are.

The features of novelty will be definitely indicated in the claimsappended to this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of asystem embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a view of one form ofregulator used in each branch of the multiple circuit.

1 and 2 represent two main supply-wires of a constant potential system,in which 3 3 rep resent parallel branches, in each of which anincandescent lamp or group of incandescent lamps is located.

4 4 represent a series of are lamps placed in a similar branch to 3. Itis evident that if the arc lamps were connected in this relation Withoutother devices than simple conducting-wires to the two sides of thesystem the wide change of resistance when an abnormal are formed in anylamp would not only interfere with the other are lamps in the samebranch, but would cause a variation in current strength in the systemand interfere with the smooth action of the incandescent lamps. In orderto prevent this, I place in each branch containing a series of arc lampsa regulating device 5. (Shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 2.) Thisdevice consists of an electromagnet 7, provided with an extended pole 8,firmly supported on a bracket 9, secured to a suitable base-plate, thebracket being properly insulated from the core, as shown. extremity ofthe extended pole supports a pivoted armature 10, carrying a tongue 14,adapted to co-operate with a contact-stop 13, a tension-springcontrolled by a regulatingscrew 12 normally holding the armatureretracted. 15 and 16 are binding-posts connected, respectively, byconductors with the electro-magnet and stop 13. The coils of the magnetare connected wit-h the pole 8 and binding-post 15. A suitableresistance has its terminals connected with the pole 8. and the post 16.In the device as shown in Fig. 2 the resistance is normally out ofcircuit, and the current passes through the device, by two paths-namely,from post 16 to 13, tongue 14, pole 8, coils of magnet and post 15, andfrom post 16 through resistance 17, pole 8, coils of magnet, and post15. The greater part of the current will follow the short circuit by wayof post 13, but instantly on a rise of current strength armature 10 willbe attracted and the short circuit broken, all of the current being thenforced to follow the resistance 17, which reduces its strength and holdsit down until the arc returns to its normal condition of resistance,when the current strength will fall and the armature 10 will drop ofiagain, restoring the shunt-circuit and bringing the current to itsnormal strength. The lamp-circuit is at no time interrupted, and thecurrent flowing through the arc branch of the system is preserved at auniform strength. The device may also be readily adapted to compensate afall of current strength in the are by adjusting the tension of thespring 11 so that the armature will be normally attracted, as shown indotted lines at 6 in Fig. 1. The resistance is normally in circuit inthis conditlon of ad ustment, and on a decline of current strength thearmature drops ofi, short- The circuiting the resistance by establishingcontact at 13 14 and raising the current strength. By inserting twodevices in each arc branch it will be seen that a guard will beestablished against either a rise or fall of current strength. Theamount of resistance out in or out by the regulator will vary somewhatwith diiferent lamps and systems. Ordinarily, if two arelamps to across-branch are used it will not exceed one-tenth of the resistance ofsaid branch.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electric-lighting system, the com.- bination, with a circuit ofconstant potential, of arc lamps in multiple-arc relation, eachcross-branch of the multiple-arc system containing two or more arelamps, a magnetic regulator in each such branch, and a resistancecontrolled thereby, said resistance being a fractional part in amount ofthe normal resistance of the arc branch, to compensate variations in thecurrent strength of the branch due'to fluctuations of any are.

2. In an electric-lighting system, the combination, with a circuit ofconstant potential, of arc lamps grouped in multiple-arc relation, twoor more are lamps being in each group,

' and a magnetic regulator for each branch comprising a normallyshort-circuited resistance, equal in amount to a fractional part of thenormal resistance of the arc branch, and a magnet for cutting saidresistance into the branch upon arise of current strength therein.

3. In a combined incandescent and are lighting system, the combinationof a constant potential circuit, incandescent lampsin parallel branches,and are lamps in parallel branches, each arc branch containing two ormore are lamps, a regulating-magnet with normally-retracted armature, anauxiliary regu: lating-magnet with normally-attracted armature, andresistances thrown into the branch when either armature is attracted,whereby the branch resistance is varied to compensate a rise or fall ofcurrent strength.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses vJOHN EDWIN GILES. Witnesses:

E. S. DOUD, O. H. LINDEMANN.

